Sun March 23, 2014

Reviewing Restaurants For The Heartbroken Masses

Most of us know Yelp as an online review site, a place to read, and give opinions about everything from restaurants to doctors. But when a 31-year-old waiter named Chase Compton went through a difficult breakup, he turned to Yelp to chronicle the story. Suddenly, strangers looking for a good dive bar, were reading about his first date. Chase Compton joins us now to talk more about this. Hey, Chase.

CHASE COMPTON: Hi, how are you?

MARTIN: I'm doing well. So, a lot of us, I'm sure, have written about heartbreak at some point in our lives, maybe in a journal, or if we want to do it more publicly, a blog. Why Yelp, Chase?

(LAUGHTER)

COMPTON: My only answer for that is I found comfort in just reaching out to strangers because I kind of wanted strangers to reach out to me. So, feeling very lonely.

MARTIN: OK. So, a lot of your posts are kind of sad, because that's what breakups are, but some are very sweet and show what it was like kind of in the heyday of your relationship. Would you mind reading a little bit of your review of Cafe Mogador?

COMPTON: Yeah, of course. (Reading) Cafe Mogador is our place. It was the scene for some of the best breakfasts of my entire life. Being madly in love, I would sit on the patio and stare longingly into his eyes like I could fall into them like an endless cup of dark brown coffee. We're that couple. It's kind of gross, I'll admit to it. And have you ever seen someone try and use a knife and fork while holding someone's hand? It's like a one-handed-clap, and it's really kind of hard to get anything done.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: So, this place is a scene for some of the best breakfasts of your whole life? I mean, how much...

COMPTON: I dare say.

MARTIN: ...how much of this is an accurate reflection of your restaurant experience and how much of it was just the headiness of your romance?

COMPTON: I eat out a lot. I live in New York City. I can't cook to save my life. I mean, I would never really call myself a foodie. I'm just a guy who really, really likes to eat. And I like to think I do it well. And I understand it does kind of reflect that everything did taste better with him.

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: What's the response been online to all this?

COMPTON: It's been really overwhelming, actually. I've received letters from kind of the heartbroken masses all over the world. Anywhere from people in Paris to people in Rio to lots of people here in the States, and even New York. And it's been kind of daunting for me, actually, because people have been writing with broken hearts, maybe looking for answers, and I don't have those answers. I'm just, you know, I'm just as lost as everyone else. Just, you know, just one guy in New York with a broken heart.

MARTIN: Yelp reviewer Chase Compton. Thanks so much for talking with us, Chase.